In mid-2011, Yves Edwards career was jelling. It was his eighth – yes, eighth – stint with the UFC, and the now-36-year-old, 61-fight veteran was on a 6-1 run and fresh off a “Knockout the Night” and “Submission of the Night” win over Cody McKenzie.

Then, his lights were turned out, and he suffered one of the most violent knockouts of the year.

That defeat – to Sam Stout at UFC 131 – proved a pivotal moment for Edwards, whose hard-charging, go-for-broke bravado had delighted crowds. But it bordered on reckless, and Edwards said the knockout served as a wakeup call.

“Getting hit by Sam Stout didn’t really help to keep me in that mind frame,” he told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “It was something I think was a good thing to happen. It’s something I was always afraid of – maybe not afraid of, but not looking forward to. It was something I didn’t want to happen.

“But having it happen wasn’t the worst thing in the world. I feel like it made me stronger in that it showed me that I’m a regular guy when it comes down to it. Anyone can be knocked out. If you get hit on the button, you’ll go down. So you have to keep a security guard on that button.”

Since that loss, which was just his third third real knockout defeat in 58 fights, Edwards has posted a 2-1 record with vicious knockouts of Rafaello Oliveira and Jeremy Stephens, as well as a hard-fought decision loss to Tony Ferguson.

Edwards first fought for the UFC in 2001 at UFC 33, and he then bounced around a number of organizations, including the WEC and PRIDE, with the occasional return to the octagon. He fought in EliteXC, BodogFIGHT, Strikeforce, MFC, Bellator and other promotions before his latest UFC stint began in 2010. With a 4-2 record and two fight-night performance bonuses, it’s been his most productive stint yet.

While fans often point to the “Thugjitsu Master” as one of the rare early-UFC stars who evolved with the sport, Edwards believes his fellow UFC trailblazers deserve a little more credit than they get.

“It wasn’t what it is today,” he said of the UFC. “We didn’t have freaking thousands of people at the weigh-ins. At the same time, it was a much smaller, more elite group back then just because of the fact it was so small. There weren’t 20 shows a year. There were like five.”

“It’s a completely different monster now,” he said. “There are some beasts now. There are a lot of sharks in a small pond.”

So how has Edwards stayed competitive? Largely by being a combat-sports freak. The Texas-based Bahamian said his body somehow has avoided most of the wear and tear of a 16-year fight career.

“I still feel the same,” he said. “I don’t’ feel any different than I did 10 years ago. I really don’t know. I haven’t gotten bigger or smaller. … I feel strong. I feel healthy. I can still do everything now that I could do then, but with a lot more knowledge and a lot more technique. I have whole lot of weapons in the cage right now.”

As a nearly 3-to-1 favorite heading into tonight’s fight, Edwards clearly is expected to handle Vallie-Flagg, who recently edged Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante via split decision to move his undefeated streak to 11 fights. However, Vallie-Flagg has never faced anyone so experienced. Edwards is confident, but not cocky.

“The game plan is to go out there and be better than him everywhere,” he said. “I watched his tapes and see where he’s strong, but I feel really good about it. This is the UFC, so there aren’t any easy fights. I’m not looking for it to be easy, but I’m looking to have a good night.”

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